If you'd like an aftermarket warranty that is awesome...try Accel out of Texas...a friend of mine with an Audi S6 with 100,000 miles had over $9000 of work done over the last 2 years from a plan that costs $1800/yr. I'm all over it and it covers an amazing array of components...most all of which are common to fail on the 500E. For example...it'll cover my T-chain even at 135,000 miles; also the A/C evaporator. Those two alone are worth a kidney....or a ball.

Holson...personally I wouldn't worry about not having stellar records on a car with that low mileage...most any used car will need something sometime so be prepared. Generally...if you can afford to buy one; you can afford to fix it too...but of course, there are exceptions to everything!!!

Have a MB dealer do the inspection too...not that your indy wouldn't do a good job but the dealer knows best, usually, on these cars.

Its a great (buyers) market for these type of cars so now would be a good time to grab one...IMO.

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Jim

1992 500E
2007 CLK63
2003 Audi RS6
2001 Audi allroad

I just checked out a Starmark'd 1994 E500 from the local MB dealer. When he took it out to show me I guess it hadn't been detailed so it wasn't that great a first impression.

$35,000 asking price
38,000 mi. - claimed to be original
one owner

Things wrong when I first saw it (didn't get to even start the engine/drive the car.. the guy was giving me attitude)

1. Scratches? Cracks? in the driver's seat leather. He told me he'll color it up. Pretty well used rear seats.
2. Pretty well used cigar lighter (dont know what that means.. )
3. cracked shifter surround wood (told me that it'd be replaced) and cracked rear bench center wood.
4. Brandeis U. Parking sticker... could mean a thing or two. Student owned or owned by a prof.
5. Used spare tire
6. Wrong size winter tires (235/60/16s) - They were so ugly and they rubbed against the plastic trims around the wheel wells.

What do you guys think?
I'm sure after they fix it up it would look awesome.

The problem is that the 1992 500E (first one I saw) was soo immaculate and original (unused spare tire w/ the original Pirelli tire) that this one just looks a little worse. Especially the interior.

But the warranty is more attrractive.

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2008 BMW 335i Coupe

Huh, I thought the '94's weren't able to be Starmarked anylonger. I thought they were beyond the time limit.

Craig

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1994 E420, Pearl Black/Black. 2.82 rear diff., AMG front spoiler, painted lower half. SOLD

1972 & 1974 BMW 2002tii's.

The car sounds awful from your description, well below average.

I would question the mileage considering the wear and tear. Cracked wood in the front and rear? Worn rear seat? These are such expensive, special interest cars, what was somebody doing abusing the back seat?

And wrong sized tires? Sounds like the owner just didn't care.

You can find 500E's advertised in So. Ca. in the low twenties pretty regularly now. You could save at least $10k by buying smarter. Is a warranty worth that much?

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

In the low $20's?? Find me one! I did a search on AutoTrader and didn't see any 94's on the West Coast.

Craig

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1994 E420, Pearl Black/Black. 2.82 rear diff., AMG front spoiler, painted lower half. SOLD

1972 & 1974 BMW 2002tii's.

94's are harder to find, and may bring a premium over '92 and '93's.

I find them in the L.A. Times classified section. Next time one is listed, I'll let you know.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Thanks. I usually look in the Times every weekend, but haven't in the last few.

Craig

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1994 E420, Pearl Black/Black. 2.82 rear diff., AMG front spoiler, painted lower half. SOLD

1972 & 1974 BMW 2002tii's.

hhmm, yeah when I saw that car I didn't like it right away (tires, interior).

I mean for a 1994 I can't believe that the interior is no nicer than my 83.

The owner probably bought it just because he wanted a top of the line E-Class back then. It was traded in for the new E500.

The car was dealer serviced though (by the same selling dealer) and was originally sold by them too.

I also saw some oil around the engine.

I really liked the 1992 that I first saw. it was so immaculate that I couldn't believe it was used. The engine bay was so clean I would put my sandwiches on the engine. The interior was just perfect and smelt new.

NADA is $33000 for high retail so I was thinking that the asking price is close to correct.

Well... I think of it this way. If I had come in next week they would have detailed and serviced the car by then and I would've missed all these 'wrong' minor details.

sigh.. I thought I had found my 124-500E when I heard about the 94.

Also the vinyl covering the door map pockets is coming off on both doors. (Common problem?)

The car is obviously winter driven as I could find 'some' rusted out bolts, etc. It has always been a MASS. car.

The 1992 came from PA. and I'd assume less salt and that one had no rust to be found.

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2008 BMW 335i Coupe

And MB Starmarked this car??? Hard to believe. My '94 E420 was PERFECT and the MB dealer put $3,800 into it before I bought it fixing a lot of small things. The car was 200 miles over the 90k limit, and it couldn't be Starmarked.


Craig

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1994 E420, Pearl Black/Black. 2.82 rear diff., AMG front spoiler, painted lower half. SOLD

1972 & 1974 BMW 2002tii's.

Dems guyz is bandits over there.

Ask them if you can take the car to your mechanic. If they agree, take the car to FMW in Natick. Call the service department and ask to speak to Paul Lucier. Tell him you want to bring in a '94 and get a price on restoring it to Pristine condition from a body, mechanicals and interior standpoint. Paul is a MM and also owns a pristine 1994 E500 so he will know what to look for. While you have the car there ask him if you can see what he sees when he pulls the history on the vehicle. Also, pull a car fax on the car to see what the milage was each year since the vehicle entered service. It is possible that if it is a one owner car, the guy pampered it for the first few years and just recently started driving and dropping care for it.

Tom

What does that matter if MB is giving the warranty? They'll fix everything, right? Just be really picky.

I think -fad has been able to get more done in repairs than he paid for his car.

Craig

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1994 E420, Pearl Black/Black. 2.82 rear diff., AMG front spoiler, painted lower half. SOLD

1972 & 1974 BMW 2002tii's.

RE: Starmark warranty claims covered more that what I paid for the car

That is true on my 1994 E320 coupe; have owned for 4 years.


-fad

good for you fad-

See you Sat.

Craig

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1994 E420, Pearl Black/Black. 2.82 rear diff., AMG front spoiler, painted lower half. SOLD

1972 & 1974 BMW 2002tii's.

Craig! You're coming up to the AutoFest? Cool! See ya then!

Best regards
-fad

Hello Adi, yes the slow removal of the vinyl covering the map pockets is a common problem. I noticed this on a lot of E Class's. I just mentioned this in another thread